Last of the summer wine (/prosecco/ale/gin)

What up people. It’s about time I provided you with details of my whereabouts because otherwise HOW WILL YOU KNOW how I’ve been spending my time? We can’t have life events going undocumented because I’ve got less than a year til I’m 30 and from then on I anticipate my memory declining and basically for me to be living at all times in close proximity to a packet of biscuits and my cat.

So let’s roll. In August, still on a Fringe high, I made my way to Copenhagen for a few days of pastries and walking and pastries and yet more walking with my dear friend Helen. Highlights included afternoon tea at the top of a tower, Kierkegaard’s grave, getting the train over the Oresund to Sweden,  two boat trips, riverside fish n chips n wine, patting the Little Mermaid, accidentally riding the oldest rollercoaster in Europe at Tivoli, Lego lions, Moomin mugs, ALL the goddamn pastries and being given a free chocolate milk by a newsagent. A dream of a trip, I highly recommend Copenhagz to you all.

A mini 6 year Durham reunion for three of us on the August bank holiday included excessive prosecco drinking in the gazebo, drunken Sworkit, river walks, brunching and general revelling in the beauty of our second home town. I also get to spend a lot of my time back in Durham now thanks to signing up to be a mentor for one of the colleges, looking after undergrads and plying them with free soft drinks, it’s all very exciting.

My birthday weekend featured extremes of tragedy and great joy, in the form of two Greek plays and an incredible pigsty cake. After another lovely manicure at the delight that is London Grace in Putney and celebrating our friend Jo’s engagement with some fizz, we headed to the Almeida for the Bakkhai (starring Ben Wishaw and Bertie Cavel) which featured some intriguing choral singing, a lot of general campery and a startlingly unconvincing head on a stick. Lots of good acting though. Sunday involved Konditor & Cook meringue and brownies in the groundling queue for the Oresteia at the Globe, which was pretty impressive, very bloody and featured a massive golden phallus parading through the audience at the end so everyone’s a winner.

Recent gigs:

Florence and the Machine – attended with my uncle Sean who has excellent taste in music and enjoys a little dance. Florence was absolutely the best I’ve seen  her and put on a massively energetic show with perfect vocals. So much joy. Supported by the Staves who I am now a fan of! Good folky stuff.

The Proclaimers – CLAP ALONG PROCLAIMERS. My palms were literally bruised after this gig, but they were so energetically insistent on clapping along that you just get swept up and before you know it you’ve got no fingerprints. I have to stress how beautiful some of their songs are too and how cracking the band were – Sunshine on Leith was a high point. So much audience love for the boys, an absolute roar of sound and energetic singing along, including actual marching during 500 miles, made it a super fun evening.

I finally got to welcome my uni girls to the north for a weekend of eating and fun. I dragged them to the beauteous Armstrong Bridge food market (wild boar pizza anyone?), Pleased to Meet You for copious gins, Lady Grey’s for copious ales, and the Fat Hippo for ultimate burger challenge. Quotes from the Fat Hippo experience include: “Delicious but at the same time horrendous”, “I just want to pay and I just want to die”, and “More of a personal battle than the Great North Run”. So in summary: highly recommended. As well as excessive consumption we also spent all our spare money on make up in the newly opened Kiko store, wandered round Tynemouth market and caused divisions with a game of Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit (it’s not for everyone).

In other burger news, I’ve been to the new Byron burger twice already – once for its opening night and a free burger (the rarebit burger, oh my lord) and once for a 25p burger accompanied by the epic chocolate milkshake. They’ve done a great job on the décor – the green tiles are a bit Ministry of Magic which I love – plus for those of us who remember it as a H&M there’s the novelty of trying to work out what section you’re eating in (I think I was in the casual t-shirts bit).

Miscellaneous:

A few weeks ago I buzzed off down south for two friends’ birthdays and experienced the Bombay Sapphire distillery which is a cracking day out. Lots of ingredient sniffing and awkward crouching by info loudspeakers, a talk about the gin making process and a free gin cocktail at the end. Next time you find yourself near Basingstoke (and let’s face it it’s just a matter of time) I suggest you drop in.

Further good news in the form of the birth of my dear school friend’s first baby, little Layton. Welcome to the world, tiny one.

The Gruffalo has been published in LATIN. I haven’t been this excited since…  well, since Harry Potter was published in Latin. Eheu! Gruffalo!

Could not be happier that Gogglebox is back (favourite quote so far – “If a squirrel was in your house you would lose your mind”, oh Siddiquis I love you all), plus Dowton obv, and have also decided to get into Strictly this year, mainly on the basis that Jay McGuinness is amazing and I cannot stop watching his Pulp Fiction jive.

Ok that’s it, no more spewing of my calendar entries for now. More regular stuff to come – particularly because I’m soon heading to one of the TWO cat cafes that Newcastle now has. Welcome to our new furry overlords.

Brixpig x

Antony and Cleopatra x4

When: 21st May, 4th June, 12th Aug, 24th Aug (not at all excessive)

 

Where: The Globe

 

Why: Eve Best 

Greedy Globe ducks

The Globe is my happy place. Leaning on the stage, breathing in the scent of warm wood (and sometimes choking on excessive incense smoke), usually with my friend Charles (@cakespeareuk) by my side and a tummy full of groundling queue cake (wrested from the beaks of the riverside ducks who will harass you for snacks), and in perfect confident anticipation of beauteous things to come. You can’t not smile constantly, even when you’re in a see-through Globe poncho and the rain is pouring into your shoes (and eyes). And you’ve paid a teeny fiver for the privilege. I’ve paid more than that for a pint and much as I love an ale, it’s no contest which is better value.

 

We hit the groundling pit on the first night of Clive Wood’s unfortunate illness and so were treated to the hurriedly acquired stand-in Antony in the form of John Light, who rose to the occasion magnificently. He was impressive, handsome (weyy) and held a strong connection with the rest of the cast considering he’d joined them that very morning. Some of the scenes were a bit hilarious with script in hand, including some awkwardness with a sword, and cracking up due to losing his place at the crucial moment of suicide. Far from ideal, but Light’s honesty and charisma with the audience made it work, and he and the brave cast thoroughly earned their thunderous applause at the end of the performance. We came away not feeling cheated at all, but actually pleased to have seen a unique performance. Poor old James Hayes (Lepidus) was ill during my second visit which was a sad loss – the play is less without his epic Irish portrayal of the snake man (“I wish you joy of the worrrrrm” is our new catchphrase) – and the amount of ankle supports seemed to increase each time I went back. Dangerous on that stage.

 

The production each time had an amazing energy, was fast paced and action packed – lots of soldierly running around and flag twirling suspended from the balcony, marching and stomping and especially dancing. The bacchanalian romps at the start and during the drinking scene on Pompey’s boat (and eventually added at the end of the performance in true Globe style – good decision) were a frenzy of Egyptian sensuousness and exuberance, and were true crowd-pleasers. This wanton behaviour also contrasted deeply with the solemnity and formal stiffness of the Roman contingent – I know where I’d rather have lived. I didn’t know the play at all really, and was prepared to have to make the effort to get through it at points, prepared for a bit of tragedy and concentration, but I was in fact joyfully carried along on a perfectly balanced wave of humour and drama. It was an easily accessible performance and incredibly enjoyable.

 

Amazing final night photo by @shaksper. I'm in this somewhere! 

This was mainly thanks to the wonder that is Eve Best. I’ve said it before but she is just amazing. Her Cleopatra was very human – changeable and petulant, imposing but constantly flashing vulnerability and restless mischief too. Rather than the aloof Elizabeth Taylor glamorously exotic high up and far away queen we’ve come to expect, we got an understandable, almost loveable Cleopatra. Eve Best is the perfect Globe actor – working the audience (literally hooking them in this case), playing with them and making eye contact with countless awkward groundlings. The first time I saw it, I ended up kissing her hand as she flaunted her new pearl ring from Antony down to her subjects. Bit embarrassing as I immediately doubted that was what she’d meant me to do, but it seemed right at the time… And an honour, obviously, to kiss the hand of your hero. I haven’t seen her do it again so maybe I was just looking particularly worshipful or something. Awks.

 

Antony as played by Clive Wood was a grizzled lion of a man, torn between his duty in Rome and his happiness in Egypt, and full of grim humour and casual disrespect for Caesar which was super entertaining. The chemistry between he and Cleo wasn’t totally convincing but EB could charm sparks out of a stone so it wasn’t really a problem. I did love his jokey attitude even at his darkest moments (laughing at himself when his suicidal stab doesn’t quite work) but it would be interesting to see it done tragically too at some point.

 

The rest of the cast was also incredibly strong which is really why the play was such an overall hit for me – not just carried by brilliant headliners but showing off an enviable breadth of talent in the whole thing. Jolyon Coy’s Caesar was outstanding – entertaining and chilling in equal measure as the fastidious, calculating menace that he is, and playing off the total polarity between he and Antony to perfection. Phil Daniels as Enobarbus was enjoyably blunt and sardonic, but I feel like more could have been made of his strong friendship with Antony as that didn’t massively come across when they were together. Obioma Ugoala as two very contrasting roles (Mardian the eunuch and Scarus the soldier) was buoyant and powerful, and Cleo’s attendants Charmian and Iras played by Sirine Saba and Rosie Hilal were excellent, charming twin pillars of support to the wayward queen.

 

I got hit by two serious downpours – one on the DVD filming night (12th August if you were there!) which will be interesting to see on screen… Romance through cords of rain. The weather can also heighten the drama though which is why I love the Globe – you get a different performance because of the changing nature of the arena you’re in. On one occasion during a dramatic speech from Cleo as she’s missing Antony, the wind caught her shawl and blew it dramatically around her which drew whoops from the audience and laughs of delight from Eve Best, who rode it out and made it part of the performance.

 

Some favourite moments of the play include:

• The party on Pompey’s boat featuring drinking games (“A toast… to LEPIDUS!”), dancing and dropping Caesar on the floor.
• Cleopatra viciously beating up the messenger who brings the news of Antony’s marriage to Octavia.
• The soothsayer ripping out the goat’s entrails during the interval – brilliantly gory. 
• Cleo’s outfits – god I wish we could all go around wearing long white dresses and floor-length gold sequined capes.

I was lucky to go to the final night of the run, and experience all the extra fun that entails. We were round the left of the stage and so saw EB peeping out of the curtains, and during the extra riotous opening scene she roamed around the stage dressed as an old peddler in a cloak, thrusting a pomegranate at various cast members. The whole cast were given a rose at the end of the curtain call which they threw into the audience as we threw roses at them, which resulted in a frenzy of petal chucking and mutual appreciation between cast and groundlings.

 

Thank you to all involved for four beautiful and fun evenings! (I am such a nerd).

 

Brixpig x

Final night roses

The Summer Book

When: Tuesday 10th June

 

Where: Unicorn Theatre

 

Why: Tove love

 

This was the first time I’ve ever been to a designated ‘children’s theatre’ as far as I know, and I did feel like a bit of a weirdo rocking up without a kid in tow. But the Unicorn is such a classy venue that I soon forgot myself - that, and the fact that there were way more adults than children in the audience anyway. It’s a beautiful space, with a bright and stylish atrium - no cliché wipe-clean surfaces and grubby plastic chairs, but a respectful and bold atrium that doesn’t patronise children. Which is fitting for a place showing a Tove Jansson piece. I was very impressed.

 

The Summer Book is a great story and beautifully written – I advise you to read it if you haven’t yet. It tells the story of a grandmother and her granddaughter Sophia, based on Jansson’s own mother Ham and niece Sophia – who I actually met at the Moomin film premiere (more on that in a later post!!) – and a summer they spent together on a small island. This stage version captured some of the quirkiness and inter-generational humour, but I think didn’t quite manage to perfectly get the poetry and energy of the book. But to be honest I think that would be almost impossible. There are some things that can’t be improved on and most of the magic of The Summer Book is in the writing.

 

It was played out in touching vignettes to create an overall impression of the anarchic island life from tiny moments, on an impressively simple stage of island rocks and a background set of the bedroom in the house. Our imagination was called upon at several points (for example grandma’s imaginary false teeth, and the fact that there weren’t many actual props in use), so that the whole undertaking felt like a game for the audience too, which was effectively carried off by the confident cast of two. Olivier award winner Sara Kestelman as the grandmother was glorious – conveying the grumpiness, rebellion, tiredness and wisdom of the older generation perfectly, her caustic remarks resounding well with the philosophical curiosity of Sophia, played alternately by Sammy Foster and Amy Snudden. I saw Sammy I think, whose levels of strop and unselfconsciousness were impressive, with only the smallest presence of stage-schooly precociousness. 

 

Their relationship was the strongest part of this stage version, and although overall it was a charming experience, it could have been more moving. I think in trying so hard to be subtle the play might have not done quite enough and lost a bit of energy. But the lighting and sound were gentle and simple, and essential to tie together the many scene swaps and bring in the strong sense of nature as its own force and really the third main character in this little tale.

 

Definitely glad I saw this though, and I would go back to the Unicorn in a heartbeat – just need to find a child to take with me next time!

 

Brixpig x

Good People

When: Wednesday 26th March

 

Where: Hampstead Theatre

 

Why: Imelda Staunton

 

This play really made me fancy a game of bingo. Seriously, I think I probably still have an old dabber pen from when I used to go with my grandma and the old ladies – I was tempted to hunt it out. Set in Boston, I didn’t think bingo was a thing in the states, but apparently so.

 

This new play by David Lindsay-Abaire (who also wrote the book for Shrek the Musical…) is tough and punchy, and offers an insight into class issues in modern day America. The incomparable Imelda Staunton as Margie is a chippy, dollar-store worker (until she’s fired in the first scene) with a disabled daughter and an unsecure lifestyle. As her life looks like it might be starting to unravel, she hears an old boyfriend (played imperiously by Lloyd Owen) is in town and seeks him out, ostensibly to help her find work. As she tries to crash his cancelled party, she realises the gulf that has appeared between the boy who made good and her own life (“How’s the wine?” – “How the fuck would I know?”), and a series of witty and gritty observations plays out. Some dark truths emerge and we see how we change even our own histories and memories, and everyone’s motives are questioned.

 

Imelda as ever was touching, nuanced and hilarious, bringing vulnerability to a complex character (and a damn good Boston accent, as far as I know…) Margie’s old dollar store manager played by Matthew Barker was also innocently funny as the unexpected hero of the piece, who is constantly teased and who everyone thinks is gay because he’s always at the bingo with them. This was a great example of a situation play that was done at such a high standard – it made me think of the sort of thing that a lot of the amateur theatre I’ve seen would totally destroy and drag into banality, and it could be easily done, but this was utterly at the top end of the scale.

 

Brixpig x

The Mystae

When: Thursday 13th March

 

Where: Hampstead Theatre (downstairs)

 

Why: Stephen Fry recommended it on Twitter

 

The Mystae was a new play by Nick Whitby, performed in the incredibly atmospheric (and cute) downstairs at the Hampstead theatre. The action is set in an off-shore cave which slowly gets cut off by the sea, and the intimacy of the surroundings downstairs, combined with brilliant crashing seaside sound-effects and shadowy, evocative lighting, set the scene perfectly.

 

The events take place over the course of one night in the cave, and are poised on the edge between hilarity and danger, childhood and adult life, cleverness and madness. The three teenagers played expertly by Beatrice Scirocchi, Adam Buchanan, and the brilliantly named Alex Griffin-Griffiths, have grown up in close-knit Cornish village and are straining to break free, and over a hallucinogenic cup of tea they display both their innocence and their secrets in a wildly eventful night. They use Ina’s Greek heritage and their shared intellectual interests to try to recreate the Eleusinian Mysteries, an ancient ritual of transformation which brings clear vision of the ultimate truth. Brilliantly staged with quick vignettes and jokes interspersed with real dramatic scenes, I was utterly gripped by the skillfully natural portrayal of young adulthood and the three friends’ adventurous spirits. Best Twitter recommendation yet.

 

Brixpig x

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

When: Tuesday 11th March

Where: Wimbledon Theatre

Why: FABULOUS

I’ve always enjoyed a croaky, out-of-tune man’s voice – Bob Geldof, Robbie Williams, Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia… But I reached my tipping point thanks to Jason Donovan in this show. He sounded absolutely knackered. He even looked a bit woozy, stumbling round the stage in his heels. He’s not a natural dancer, nor a natural transvestite, I can’t lie to you. Anything less elegant is difficult to imagine. Fortunately, he was carried by a great supporting cast and some proper good tunes. It’s the campest show I’ve ever seen, brightly coloured and pretty elaborate – and you know that although the plot is insanity, you’re going to enjoy yourself on the bus journey through Oz. The Divas suspended from the top of the stage were sassy and brilliant, and the sniping banter between the main three characters was sharp and often hilarious. It was an overall glittering assault on the senses and an enjoyable night out in Wimbledon.

Brixpig x

Ghosts

When: Friday 7th March

Where: Trafalgar Studios

Why: Love me some Ibsen

My trip to Ghosts was the final night of a week of epic evenings – on Monday AND Tuesday I’d seen Wicked (free tickets, thank you very much), Wednesday was London Grammar, and Thursday was Haim. So you can imagine I might have been thinking wearily of my own sofa and a chill-out on Friday night – but I was actually incredibly excited to see Ghosts, and my friend Charles of course, who had sorted us out with £10 day tickets.

I was excited as well to be in the bigger theatre at the Trafalgar Studios, which is comfily retro. I’d been before to Trafalgar 2 to see my friend Ben starring in Betwixt, and both times had experienced a brilliant celeb spot, with Sheridan Smith the first time and Stephen Fry the second (neither of whom I was permitted to speak to by my friends, at the risk of massively embarrassing them and probably myself… rude). The day tickets were incredible value and meant we were stunningly close to the stage, on the second row with a view only partly impeded not by a high stage or safety railings, but by a girl with a massive top-knot right in front of me. Despite this hairy impediment, we could see close up every nuance of emotion passing over Leslie Manville’s face.

This was a stunningly put together production, with impressive lighting and claustrophobic stage design which all added to the intensity of the drama, but it was the acting itself that was sublime. I was absolutely floating away on the performances, which were all of just the highest standard. It was a privilege to watch a play where the quality of the actors was just undeniable and impossible not to appreciate (and the Olivier Awards panel obviously agree). Despite being one of Ibsen’s most harrowing plays, this performance was pitched perfectly – it was dramatic but not melodramatic, subtle and engaging, and you could feel it slowly piercing your heart as it played out. I described the plot to my mum and it sounded horrendously depressing, but it wasn’t like that to watch. I wasn’t dragged down, but carried along. Leslie was perfection, and Jack Lowden as the son, Oswald, was also outstanding.

The performance is now on Digital Theatre and I suggest you download it immediately (I think you can still use the code ibsencollection to get 25% off if you buy it and A Doll’s House at the same time!).

Brixpig x

1984

When: Wednesday 26th February

 

Where: Almeida

 

Why: Birthday present (for someone else)

 

I’ll be honest, the only reason I went to see this was because it made a great birthday present for my best friend, who loves the book and anything dystopian. I probably wouldn’t have bothered otherwise, but I’m so glad I did. I hadn’t read it (what a pleb) but made sure I did before we went to the play as I’d heard it was a bit complex… It is, so well done me. Especially as the stage version places the book in the past and analyses it from (seemingly) outside of its context. Just to add another layer of complexity.

 

This setting was a daring move but it definitely worked, and was as thought-provoking an approach as any of the book’s original concepts. The ‘book group’ are analysing the story as we see it played out on stage, and this actively invites the audience’s own reactions to it as the themes of memory and truth are twisted and re-worked. Scenes are replayed with details altered – people are written out of the story (unpersoned) and our rebellious minds try to remember the ‘true’ version, along with Winston. I could also see most of the audience from my balcony seat which actually did add another dimension to the experience. Being new to the story I was still in an initial state of malleable excitement about the plot and the concepts surrounding it, and so was loving the innovative way it was presented and made me re-think everything I had just read.

 

The cast were impressive and slick – Mark Arends as Winston was the perfect balance of innocence and intent, and Tim Dutton as the interrogator O’Brien was intensely creepy and showed how disturbingly far into Winston’s wounded mind he could climb throughout the torture scenes. I found the torture to be a bit more bloody than I’d imagined – I had seen it all as internal pain, but it was nevertheless incredibly effective and horrifyingly well done. The moment where Winston’s world literally comes crashing down when his hiding place is discovered, to reveal the behind the scenes workings and the terrifying clinical whiteness of the ministry, was brilliantly done with some stunning set design and lighting. The sound and use of video screens was effective and fitting to the all-seeing nature of the story, and scenes such as the 2 minute hate were incredibly shocking when played out in front of you. This was definitely a play that will stay with me, and I’m so pleased it transferred to the West End so that more people could experience it (although I do love the Almeida – what a great theatre).

 

DOUBLEPLUSGOOD.

 

Brixpig x

Duchess of Malfi - Wanamaker Theatre

When: Thursday 13^th February 

Where: Wanamaker Theatre 

Why: New theatre, new season, cheap ticket!

The Wanamaker Theatre is delightful. It was the second project that American actor and director Sam Wanamaker (yep, Zoe’s dad) wanted to complete after founding the Globe we now know (a thousand thanks for that, Sam). And now 20 years after his death it is a reality – and it’s amazing. The interior is beautiful and intimate (it seats 340 people), with ceilings painted with cherubs and covered in gold stars, replicas of which you can buy in the Globe shop, so obviously one is now hanging with pride of place on my wall. It is lit only by hundreds of beeswax candles, suspended in chandeliers and hung on the stage, so the whole theatre smelled gorgeously of honey and warm polished wood, as well as the obligatory incense later in the play. Being as high up as it’s possible to go (cheap standing tickets) I got the full benefit of the rising smoke and a great view of the whole beautiful structure, as well as being right in the eyeline of the musicians on the balcony – whose performance of the lovely score was outstanding. The candles were used to full effect lighting-wise throughout the play, particularly during the meeting of the Duchess and her brother when he presents her with the (fake) severed hand of her husband – which took place in pitch darkness. It was so scary and massively atmospheric.

The Duchess was the first play in the new season of this new theatre, so it was excitement all round really. The dim light and enclosed space was perfect for the macabre, unsettling Malfi. I had previously seen the Duchess at the Old Vic, starring the divine Eve Best, so I was fully prepared for all the death and disturbing scenes. This version was a lot more intimate, more level and understated than the Old Vic version, making it accessible but a bit less passionate. Gemma Arterton was lovely as the Duchess, playing her as a more earthy, good-hearted, simple and pure aristocrat (admittedly with a heap of sexual confidence and knowledge of her own mind). She was less ethereal, less majestic than Eve Best, and although she brought great clarity to the character, she didn’t quite ascend to the exaltation and anguish of a real heroine, which is what you need at the crescendo of her character.

The supporting cast were accomplished and often powerful – particularly David Dawson as the incestuous brother Ferdinand, who really steals the show. He is clearly unhinged even in small doses from the start of the play, and his descent and collapse as the play goes on was captivating and masterfully done. Sean Gilder’s Bosola was sympathetic but quite shouty, and Alex Waldmann as Antonio was a model of handsome devotion but their partnership lacked a bit of chemistry.

My £10 standing ticket was good value and it seems that my view was no worse than some of those in the expensive seats. But in the Wanamaker, restricted view really does mean restricted. A lot of action on my side of the stage I couldn’t see at all, and ditto anything right at the back of the stage (however gory those waxworks were, I can only imagine them). Which was a shame, but I am tolerant and was enjoying the whole atmosphere anyway. I will definitely go back and have already booked for several of the new season’s plays – standing though, as those guys on the benches did not look comfortable. 

Brixpig x

The Light Princess

When: Tuesday 28^th January 

Where: National Theatre 

Why: Time Out ticket offer 
 

This was the first play I saw at the National Theatre. I had previously been in to the Philip Pullman talk about fairy tales and made use of the theatre bar to shelter in, but I was looking forward to a real theatrical experience. The Lyttelton theatre is functional, décor-wise, but very comfortable and spacious which my wriggly self appreciated (I am still emotionally, and probably physically, scarred after the Mack and Mabel seating hell at the Southwark theatre’s old location – let’s hope they didn’t take their chairs with them when they moved).

I was drawn in by the promise of music written by Tori Amos and the inspiration for the story from George Macdonald’s fairy tale (which is beautiful and which you can read here). The princess is basically anti-gravity, both literally and emotionally, and the plot follows on from this. It was ingeniously staged and I had been intrigued about how the princess would fly. I was initially irrationally disappointed to see it would mainly be via three royal subjects lifting and supporting Rosalie Craig as the princess, and assisting as she clambered over the vertically reaching set (the bookshelves in her tower were a triumph). But she was so confident and flowing that you really forgot she wasn’t flying, and also came to appreciate the supporting actors’ combined skill.

Having since seen the Oliviers, I can’t help feel that Rosalie was a bit robbed of the best actress in a musical award (especially since the winner was from devil-musical Once - shudder). Her stamina, elegance, and spirit really deserved to be recognised – and to sing so beautifully under such physically demanding conditions was masterful.

The play itself was perfectly balanced – dramatic and funny in turn, full of cheeky humour for both adults and children and with perfectly pitched emotion. The staging was some of the most creative I’ve ever seen – even the lake scene with the prince and princess swimming through various layers of fabric and encountering hopping water creatures was brilliantly done. It was all just charming and massively exceeded my expectations.

In conclusion – I discovered a new fairy tale and had a luminous evening. Good going. 

Brixpig x